For the past week Assad's government has besieged the city of Daraa, escalating the violent substantially. Thousands of Syrian soldiers have stormed the city along with tanks and heavy artillery. Snipers have been using live ammunition against civilians and protesters alike. Water, electricity, and phone lines have been cut and Syria's border with Jordan, along which Daraa is located, has been closed indefinitely.

It was only two days after Ali left for the resistance that the Syrian army stormed your city. It is now too dangerous to go onto the streets. Emad and Yara have not been to school in a week. You've been reading to them by candlelight once the sun goes down in order to drown out the sounds of the tank treads and rifle fire that permeates Daraa's nightscape. A sense of lawlessness has begun to spread across your hometown. Most of it, however, has been aimed at defending the city's civilians from the unconscionable acts of the Assad regime. You've never seen your town, the place where you grew up, like this before. You are scared, not just for yourself and you children, but for Ali, whom you have not heard from in over a week. If this continues you will have to make some serious decisions.